Performance in the Transition Zone of Two Hybrid Bluegrasses Compared with Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue

Author(s):  
Dale Bremer ◽  
Kemin Su ◽  
Steven Keeley ◽  
Jack Fry
2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Damon L. Smith ◽  
Nathan R. Walker

In the transition zone of the USA, cool-season grasses such as tall fescue are often planted in shaded areas, where warm-season grasses are less adapted. The most damaging disease of tall fescue is brown patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Fungicide applications and cultural practices are often used to manage brown patch in this region. A three-year study was implemented in Oklahoma to evaluate ready-to-use fungicides available to residential lawn owners and compare these to several common commercial fungicide formulations used by professional lawn care applicators. A selection of fungicides representing products commonly available to the residential market and commercial standards were applied to small plots of tall fescue or tall fescue/Kentucky bluegrass mixtures from 2008 to 2010. All products tested, with the exception of azoxystrobin, provided limited or inconsistent control of brown patch and resulted in lower turfgrass quality in all years. Further examination of carrier type (granular vs. liquid) and timing (preventive vs. curative) did not result in strong differences in the level of brown patch control or overall quality. These studies suggest that control of brown patch in tall fescue in the transition zone should focus on integrated disease management principals and not only on applications of fungicides directed at the residential market. Accepted for publication 5 August 2013. Published 22 October 2013.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-170
Author(s):  
Kenneth Lynn Diesburg ◽  
Ronald F. Krausz

This research was conducted to determine the degree of success, by month, in seeding establishment of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. var. dactylon), and zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) at two locations in the moist, Midwest, continental transition zone on a prepared seed bed without irrigation or cover. The four species were planted every month of the year starting in September 2005. Starter fertilizer and siduron were applied the same day as seeding with no subsequent management except mowing. Percent cover of living turfgrass was recorded in each of 24 months after seeding. Tall fescue (80%) and Bermudagrass (73%) provided the best percent cover over all planting dates. Kentucky bluegrass provided 65% and zoysiagrass 24% cover. The cool-season grasses performed best in the July-to-March plantings; tall fescue 88% and Kentucky bluegrass 72%. Bermudagrass (94%) established best in the January-to-April plantings, while Zoysiagrass (32%) established best in the November-to-March plantings. Germination and seedling survival after germination of all species were inhibited by limited moisture during summer. The warm-season grasses were further limited by winter kill in the August, September, and October seedings. These results emphasize the risk in spring-seeding as well as the value in dormant-seeding of both warm- and cool-season turfgrasses for low-input, nonirrigated establishment.


Crop Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jada S. Powlen ◽  
Cale A. Bigelow ◽  
Aaron J. Patton ◽  
Yiwei Jiang ◽  
Melodee L. Fraser

HortScience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis C. Teuton ◽  
John C. Sorochan ◽  
Christopher L. Main ◽  
Thomas J. Samples ◽  
John M. Parham ◽  
...  

‘Dura Blue’ and ‘Thermal Blue’ hybrid bluegrass have been selected for heat and drought tolerance. These grasses offer alternatives to traditional Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue in the transition zone. Experiments were conducted in two locations during 2003 and 2004 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn. Nitrogen (N) was applied at 50, 150, or 300 kg·ha−1 N per year to ‘Apollo’ Kentucky bluegrass, ‘Dura Blue’, and ‘Thermal Blue’ hybrid bluegrass, and ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Kentucky 31’ tall fescue. The main effects of turfgrass and N were significant for color and quality observations. However, their interactions were not significant; therefore, only the main effects are shown. Acceptable turfgrass color (>6) and quality (>6) was observed for all varieties in May, August, and November. All N regimens showed acceptable turfgrass color and quality. However, 150 kg·ha−1 N per year was required to achieve optimum color and quality. ‘Kentucky 31’ produced higher clipping dry weights when N was applied at 50 kg·ha−1 per year than the other varieties. Nitrogen applied at 150 and 300 kg·ha−1 per year on ‘Kentucky 31’ and ‘Thermal Blue’ produced higher clipping dry weights than the other varieties. ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Kentucky 31’ had similar brown patch incidences at each nitrogen level. Increases in brown patch incidence occurred as N levels decreased from 300 (21%) to 50 kg·ha−1 per year (31%) for ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Kentucky 31’. Dollar spot incidence occurred on all bluegrass varieties from 7% to 24%. However, dollar spot decreased with increased N fertility. All turfgrass species tested were acceptable for use in the transition zone.


Crop Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 1220-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Macolino ◽  
Guido Pignata ◽  
Maurizio Giolo ◽  
Michael D. Richardson

1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Johnson-Cicalese ◽  
C.R. Funk

Studies were conducted on the host plants of four billbug species (Coleoptera:Curculionidae: Sphenophorus parvulus Gyllenhal, S. venatus Chitt., S. inaequalis Say, and S. minimus Hart) found on New Jersey turfgrasses. A collection of 4803 adults from pure stands of various turfgrasses revealed all four billbugs on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and S. parvulus, S. venatus, and S. minimus on Chewings fescue (F. rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaud.). Since the presence of larvae, pupae, or teneral adults more accurately indicates the host status of a grass species, immature billbugs were collected from plugs of the various grass species and reared to adults for identification. All four species were reared from immature billbugs found in Kentucky bluegrass turf; immatures of S. venatus, S. inaequalis, and S. minimus were found in tall fescue; S. venatus and S. minimus in perennial ryegrass; and S. inaequalis in strong creeping red fescue (F. rubra L. ssp. rubra). A laboratory experiment was also conducted in which billbug adults were confined in petri dishes with either Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, or bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers.). Only minor differences were found between the four grasses in billbug survival, number of eggs laid, and amount of feeding. In general, bermudagrass was the least favored host and the other grasses were equally adequate hosts. The results of this study indicate a need for updating host-plant lists of these four billbug species.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. McCulley ◽  
Lowell P. Bush ◽  
Anna E. Carlisle ◽  
Huihua Ji ◽  
Jim A. Nelson
Keyword(s):  

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Landschoot ◽  
Thomas L. Watschke ◽  
Bryce F. Hoyland

PRE and POST herbicides were evaluated for their effects on root growth of Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue turf. All PRE treatments, bensulide at 14.0 kg ai ha−1, DCPA at 11.8 kg ha−1, dithiopyr at 0.4 kg ha−1, pendimethalin at 1.7 kg ha−1, and prodiamine at 0.6 kg ha−1, inhibited root growth when cores, 10 cm in diam and 2.5 cm deep, of herbicide-treated Kentucky bluegrass were placed into pots of perlite. Only prodiamine inhibited tall fescue rooting. None of the PRE treatments reduced rooting of grasses when 10-cm diam and 16-cm deep cores were sampled from the field. No differences in rooting were observed among any of the POST treatments on either species.


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